“The Ugly Duckling” was a short story written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1844. Although it is nearly 200 years old, the story is still one of the most popular retellings within modern culture. The question, of course, becomes “why?” We all know the story: a fowl is born to a duck family, shunned by its family and community because of its looks, and later develops into a beautiful swan that is envied by everyone for its beauty. Why would this story stand the test of time to not only still be heard on the lips of storytellers around the world, but to also be retold and reinvented through modern day translations? To answer this question, we must first look at the story itself in order to first understand its literary value and then to evaluate its impact on our popular culture. Many would first assume, by its presentation, that “The Ugly Duckling” can be considered a good example of a fairy tale. Bruno Bettelheim, a noted educator and scholar on the role that fairy tales play, has stated that in fairy tales, there is typically a battle between good and evil. Characters are absolute...either good or evil. He also goes on to say that the goal is not to impart a moral, but rather to show that one can overcome any obstacle (Bettelheim 216-217). Based on this criterion, “The Ugly Duckling” falls short of what could be called a fairy tale. Other than the anthropormorphisizing of the animal characters, there is no magic that is done in the story. The characters are not absolute. For instance, the main character’s mother was quite loving and protective of him in the beginning of the story, and she also defended him against both family and outsiders who made fun of him. As time progressed, however, her feelings towards him changed, and she became one of his detractors. Also, as Bettelheim has mentioned, fairy tales usually do not try to convey a moral lesson to the reader. However, by the end of “The Ugly Duckling”, the reader is left with the sense that a moral lesson should have been learned during the telling of the story. Even though “The Ugly Duckling” is not a fairy tale, it does share a common trait that fairy tales, myths, and other works from these genres share: it transcends races and cultures. Throughout the ages, people of all nationalities have heard one version or another of this classic story. So, based on this information, it can be concluded that “The Ugly Duckling” is more along the lines of a fable. According to Wikipedia, a fable is “a short story or folk tale embodying a moral. [It] makes metaphorical use of an animal as its central character.” (“Fable.”) The central character in this story is, of course, a duck that, in actuality, is a beautiful swan. Society (albeit the animal “society” of the farm) placed standards of beauty onto this creature based on the established norms given for its supposed species (in this case, the standard for how a duck should look and behave). When this creature did not fit into society’s mold of what is acceptable, he was ostracized. He is finally redeemed when he discovers his true self, and his outer beauty matches the already existing inner beauty. Hence, the moral of the story in this fable becomes: “True beauty is revealed from the inside out. By finding your inner self, you will allow the already present outer beauty to be seen by everyone.” Famed psychologist Carl Jung is well-known for his theories of a collective consciousness and how people of varying ethnic backgrounds around the world have more in common as human beings. This may well explain why the story of “The Ugly Duckling” has not only survived over time, but has become more popular than ever in popular culture. Jung has stated: “Every one of us gladly turns away from his problem; if possible, they must not be mentioned, or, better still, their existence is denied. We wish to make our lives simple, certain, and smooth, and for that reason problems are taboo.” (Jung 5)
Works Cited
Bettelheim, Bruno. “Fairy Tales and the Existential Predicament.” Dreams and Inward Journeys. Ed. Marjorie Ford and Jon Ford. New York: Pearson-Longman, 2004. 216-217.
“Fable.” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fables. (Accessed on 3/13/06)
Jung, Carl. The Portable Jung. Ed. Joseph Campbell. New York: Penguin Books, 1976. 5.
